Grant & Award Opportunities

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Funding from National PTA to Support your PTA

Throughout the year, National PTA offers awards or grants to honor or support PTAs as they engage families, support student success, improve the health and safety of students and families, increase access to arts education or celebrate advocacy and diversity.

Significant funding is available to support local efforts for your students, families and community to participate in educational activities that are engaging, inspiring and fun.

National PTA is committed to promoting and encouraging diversity and inclusion as part of our commitment to every child. In addition to evaluating the merits of each application, geography, need, and other criteria may be considered to ensure a robust and diverse pool of grantees.

This science experiment was funded by National PTA grant opportunities.
Grant funding made this STEM+Families science event at Lakeshore Elementary, San Francisco, CA possible (read more).

National PTA Awards PTAs with Program Funding

 

Each school year, National PTA provides funding to enhance family engagement and support our programs and strategic initiatives in schools across the country. This school year, National PTA awarded over $650K in program funding to nearly 500K PTAs, thanks to our generous sponsors. These funds will help cover expenses to host PTA programs for students and families in the areas of mental health, STEM, digital safety, literacy, tobacco use prevention and the arts. Watch how National PTA helps state, district, council, region and local PTAs meet the critical needs of their students and families and celebrate the PTAs that received funding for the 2022-2023 school year.

 

Active Grants & Awards

 

Learn about and apply to the following opportunities:


 
 

National PTA Life Achievement Awards

Give the award of a lifetime. Give the National PTA Life Achievement Award—the highest honor from the nation’s largest child advocacy organization—to the person who daily lives out his or her commitment to children. Complete the Form or call (800) 307-4782 to submit your request.

 

Previous Grants and Awards

 

Jan Harpe Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award

Dec. 9, 2022 – March 5, 2023

The purpose of the Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award contest is to recognize PTAs that are dedicated to the needs of all families represented in their schools. The contest acknowledges PTAs that develop practices that are inclusive and equal for all families and that result in positive change. All diversity and inclusion efforts must be from the previous calendar year (2022).

Phoebe Apperson Hearst Awards

May 1 – Oct. 1, 2022

The Phoebe Apperson Hearst Awards for innovation in family engagement, named after National PTA co-founder Phoebe Apperson Hearst, recognize and celebrate achievement in building effective family-school partnerships. The awards are presented to PTAs that have earned top rank with their National PTA School of Excellence designation by demonstrating outstanding achievement engaging families in student success and school improvements. Local PTAs are encouraged to enroll in and complete the National PTA School of Excellence program during the 2022-2023 school year for consideration.

 

Fall 2022 Program Grants

Aug. 23 - Sept. 27

National PTA and our generous sponsors are offering over $600K in funding for PTAs/PTSAs that are in good standing as defined by their state PTA and interested in implementing a fun and engaging National PTA program focused on STEM, literacy, digital citizenship, mental health, healthy lifestyles or the arts. Visit our FAQs for more information.

As of Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 5:00 p.m. EDT the application process for Fall 2022 Program Grants is now closed.

Next Steps

  • Applications will be judged through a double-blind review process using this rubric.
  • National PTA will work with state PTAs to ensure local PTA good standing status.
  • Funding announcements will be made in early November.
  • All recipients will receive regular communication and resources as well as invitations to join optional Community of Practice Zoom calls. SAVE THE DATE for the first welcome call for those selected on Monday, November 14 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
  • Selected PTAs will be expected to provide ACH information and complete an award letter outlining grant requirements in early December.
  • Pending completed paperwork, funding will be provided in early January.
  • Program Implementation, unless otherwise stated, is expected to take place between January and April. PTAs will receive regular support, communication and opportunities for collaboration from National PTA Programs Staff throughout the program process.
  • Unless otherwise stated, required program leader feedback will be due to National PTA in mid-May.
Remember, funding is not needed to run PTA Programs. Visit PTA.org/Programs to plan your program year! Email Grants@PTA.org with any questions.  

More about the Programs:

Programs For All Ages

 
PTA Healthy Minds, Sponsored by The New York Life Foundation and The Allstate Foundation

100 local PTAs will be awarded $2,500 in funding, sponsored by the New York Life Foundation and the Allstate Foundation, to equip families with the tools they need to build healthy minds. For this specific grant, your PTA must …

  1. Build the knowledge and skills of parents and families to support their child’s mental health and help enhance their child’s social-emotional skills and resilience by distributing resources and hosting learning sessions;
  2. Provide the resources and support so parents take action to strengthen their family and child’s mental health; and
  3. Partner with your school to build and strengthen mental health and social-emotional learning (SEL) supports and services. The format and structure of each program will vary based on the unique needs of each school community. Learn more.
PTA Connected: The Smart Talk, Sponsored by Norton

150 local PTAs will be awarded $1,000 in funding to facilitate PTA Connected The Smart Talk family conversations in their school communities. The Smart Talk is an interactive tool created by National PTA and Norton that walks families through a series of guided digital safety questions, then creates a personalized family agreement for how technology will be used at home. For this specific grant, your PTA must be willing to host a discussion with families and students about digital safety and The Smart Talk tool by March 31, 2023. National PTA has developed resources to support this discussion. Learn more.

Mary Lou Anderson Reflections Arts Enhancement, sponsored by the family of Mary Lou Anderson

Two local PTAs will be awarded $1,000 in funding to administer student-centered programs that increase access to high-quality arts learning experiences and create new pathways for students to participate in the National PTA Reflections program. To be eligible for the Mary Lou Anderson Reflections Arts Enhancement grant, your PTA must be participating in the 2022-2023 Show Your Voice! Reflections program. The funding must be used to provide new pathways for underrepresented students to participate in arts education, including the Reflections program. Learn more.

   

Programs For Elementary School

 
STEM + Families Propelling Our World, sponsored by Huntington Ingalls Industries

35 PTAs will each be awarded $1,000. To receive this funding, your PTA must be willing to host a hands-on National PTA Propelling Our World program (Engineering Design Challenge). PTAs that receive this funding will be required to use the program resources and ensure the engineering design challenge activities allow students and families to engage in the activities together to enhance positive family engagement. In addition, your PTA must be willing to educate families about STEM careers, including those careers involving skilled trades. Learn more.

STEM + Families Science Festival, sponsored by BayerFund

25 local PTAs awarded $1,000 in funding and up to three District/Council/Region (DCR) PTAs awarded $5,000 in funding. This funding is specifically for local and DCR PTAs serving K-5th grade students and families that are located within a 55-mile radius of the following regions:

  • Arizona (Marana, Tucson)
  • California (Berkeley, Oakland, Oxnard, San Francisco, San Jose, San Ramon, Sacramento, Williams, Woodland)
  • Hawaii (Haleiwa, Honolulu, Kaunakakai, Kihei, Kunia)
  • Idaho (Soda Springs)
  • Iowa (Ankeny, Boone, Des Moines, Grinnell, Huxley, Urbandale, Muscatine, Williamsburg)
  • Illinois (Waterman, Farmer City)
  • Louisiana (Luling, St. Charles Parrish)
  • Massachusetts (Cambridge, Boston)
  • Missouri (St. Louis, Kansas City)
  • New Jersey (Morristown, Whippany)
  • Pennsylvania (Indianola, Pittsburgh, Saxonburg, Myerstown)
  • Puerto Rico (Juana Diaz)

To successfully complete this grant, your local PTA or DCR PTA must be willing to run a hands-on science festival program and/or distribute STEM kits curated by your PTA or DCR PTA, using National PTA’s Science Festival resources and ensuring the science activities allow students and families to engage in the activities together to enhance positive family engagement. Learn more.

   

Programs For Elementary or Middle School

 
PTA Connected: Be Internet Awesome, Sponsored by Google + YouTube

50 local PTAs will be awarded $1,000 in funding to host an interactive Be Internet Awesome program where families engage with one another in meaningful conversations about raising children in an online world. PTAs that receive this funding must be willing to use updated National PTA Be Internet Awesome resources (coming soon) and help parents create a shared understanding of what it means to Be Internet Smart, Alert, Strong, Kind and Brave. The Be Internet Awesome Program will also introduce families to free tools, such as Family Link, to support healthy online habits and provide parents with ways to view their child’s online activity, manage their apps and set limits on screen time. Learn more.

Family Reading Experience Grant, Sponsored by Office Depot OfficeMax 

35 local PTAs will be awarded $1,000 in funding to implement the National PTA Family Reading Experience program, which connects families with reading resources within their school communities. The goal of the program is to help expand student access to books and diversify libraries at home, in school and in the community. The funding must be used to implement this National PTA program. Learn more.

   

Programs For Middle or High School

 
Tobacco Prevention Campaign, sponsored by The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

15 PTAs/PTSAs that serve 6th-12th grade students and families will be awarded $1,000 in funding to engage youth and families and assess the prevalence of tobacco-use in their school community, including vaping, e-cigarette use and flavored tobacco product use. In addition, PTAs/PTSAs must also be willing to execute advocacy efforts addressing the needs identified, including hosting Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action (March 31, 2023) anti-tobacco campaign activities and any other advocacy activities, such as: engaging school officials, community members and legislators about tobacco-use and tobacco-prevention, vaping, e-cigarette use and flavored tobacco product use or hosting listening sessions with families and decision-makers. PTAs/PTSAs must use and promote National PTA co-created tobacco-free prevention campaign materials throughout the school year. Learn more.

   

Programs For High School

 
PTA Connected: Create with Kindness Grant, Sponsored by TikTok

40 local high school PTAs/PTSAs will each be awarded $1,000 in funding to host family-centered conversations within high school communities about digital kindness, safety and responsibility. PTAs/PTSAs that receive this funding will be required to organize and host a high school student panel, educate participants about digital kindness, safety and responsibility—as well as TikTok’s safety features—and facilitate interactive learning within participants. National PTA has developed resources to support this program. Learn more.

PTA Connected + Discord, Sponsored by Discord

30 local high school PTAs will be awarded $1,000 in funding to facilitate meaningful discussions between teens and their caregivers about digital dilemmas, specifically related to community and belonging, that many people face. The program helps families explore the use of technology as a communication and relationship tool while discussing ways to foster positive relationships and build belonging in our digital world. National PTA has developed resources to support this program. Learn more.



 

2022 Family-School Partnerships Challenge Grant

June 6 – July 17, 2022

National PTA’s Center for Family Engagement was established to take a deliberate and focused approach to reimagining family engagement practices and policies for greater equity and effectiveness, and to apply transformative family engagement approaches at scale. As part of this work, the Center for Family Engagement is leading an update to the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. The Center for Family Engagement will support up to 10 PTAs (state, district-council-region, or special interest) to deepen their learning and leadership in the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships through this $2,500 grant.

2022 Challenge Grant Information
 

PTA Connected + TikTok Grant Sponsored by TikTok

Jan. 10 – Jan. 25, 2022

Sponsored by TikTok, 40 local PTAs will be awarded a grant of $1,000 each to host family-centered conversations within high school communities about digital kindness, safety and responsibility. Grant recipients will be required to organize and host a high school student panel; educate participants about digital kindness, safety, responsibility and TikTok’s safety features; and facilitate interactive learning among participants. National PTA is developing resources to support PTAs hosting these events. The grant application deadline is Jan. 25. Learn more at PTA.org/TikTok!

2022 Create with Kindness Grant Recipients Sponsored by TikTok
 

Center for Family Engagement’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Grant

Nov. 19 – Dec. 19, 2021

Up to 30 local PTAs will be awarded $500 in grand funding (with potential for additional implementation funding) to enhance Diversity, Equity & Inclusion practices in their school communities. To successfully complete this grant, your PTA must be willing to complete a diversity profile, facilitate listening sessions or one on one interviews with families to learn more about their interests and needs, and create an action plan based on your learning.

2022 Advancing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Grant Recipients